Al Pacino is one of the most famous Italian-American actors of all time. Alfredo James Pacino was born in New York City on April 25, 1940, and his family originate from Sicily. While many of his acting roles are well-known, there are many lesser-known facts about this talented actor and filmmaker.
- Like many of the characters he played, Pacino was not always straight laced. He was already drinking and smoking by the age of nine and smoked cannabis throughout his teens. He was also known to get involved in the occasional scuffle.
- Al Pacino left school at the age of 17 and worked for a short time in the mail room of Commentary Magazine before starting his entertainment career as a stand-up comedian.
- At 19, he moved to Greenwich Village to pursue his passion for acting. Prior to this, he had lived in both Harlem and the Bronx.
- He began his stage career after attending the Herbert Berghof Studio and this included a role in ‘Out There’ in 1963.
- Pacino wasn’t the first choice for the lead role in ‘The Godfather’. IN fact, studio heads rejected him repeatedly. He only won the role after director Ford Coppola fought for him. Both Coppola and Pacino feared getting sacked from this film and it was for this reason the film was made so quickly. However, ‘The Godfather’ propelled them both to greater success.
- Pacino was nominated for seven Oscars before winning his first for ‘Scent of Woman’, in which he played Frank Slade, in 1992.
- He is a father. His daughter, Julie Marie, was born in 1989. Her mother is Jan Tarrant, an acting teacher.
- Al Pacino is a fan of both opera and William Shakespeare plays.
- For his role in the 2010 TV movie, ‘You Don’t Jack’, Pacino received both a Golden Globe and an Emmy award for his role as Dr. Jack.
- Pacino describes himself as a method actor and credits his acting techniques to his time at the Actors Studio in New York. He was taught by Charlie Laughton and Lee Strasberg.
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Al Pacino is a great actor!